Warwick's is hosting New York Times bestselling author María Dueñas on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:30pm to discuss and sign her new novel, The Heart Has Its Reasons. Maria holds a PhD in English Philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. Reserved Seating is available. Only books purchased from Warwick's will be signed. Please call the Warwick's Book Dept. (858) 454-0347 for details. Declared "a writer to watch" (Publishers Weekly, starred review), New York Times bestselling author María Dueñas pours heart and soul into this story of a woman who discovers the power of second chances. With her debut novel The Time in Between María Dueñas garnered outstanding acclaim and inspired a TV series, dubbed the "Spanish Downton Abbey" by the media. USA TODAY said of the book: "From a terrific opening line to the final page, chapters zip by at a pulsing pace." Now Dueñas returns with a novel about a heartbroken woman's attempt to pick up the pieces of her shattered world. Blanca Perea is a college professor in Madrid who seems to have it all. But her perfect career and marriage start to unravel when her husband of twenty years suddenly leaves her for another woman. Devastated, Blanca is forced to question the life she once had and how well she truly knows herself. She leaves Madrid for San Francisco, where she becomes entrenched in the history of an enigmatic Spanish writer who died decades earlier. The more Blanca discovers about this man, the more she is enthralled by the ill-fated loves, half truths, and silent ambitions that haunted his life. With lush, imaginative prose and unforgettable characters, The Heart Has Its Reasons is a journey of the soul that takes readers from Spain to California, between the thorny past and all-too-real present. It is a story about the thrill of creating one's life anew.

The Book Cellar is pleased to offer books for NY Times Bestselling author Maria Duenas at the Cervantes Center on November 13th at 6 pm! She will be reading from her latest book, The Heart Has Its Reasons. A talented college professor in Madrid, Blanca Perea seems to have it all. But her world is suddenly shattered when her husband of twenty years leaves her for another woman. Questioning the life she once had and whether she truly knows herself, Blanca resolves to change her surroundings. She accepts what looks like a boring research grant in California involving an exiled Spanish writer who died decades ago. Anxious to leave her own troubled life behind, she is gradually drawn into his haunted world, with its poignant loves and unfulfilled ambitions.

But in delving into the past, Blanca finds herself simultaneously awakened to the present by Daniel Carter, a charismatic professor with crucial knowledge about the dead writer that he has never before revealed. Amid this web of passion, conflict, and hidden feelings, including her own, Blanca advances like an avid detective, refusing to quit, and ultimately discovers startling answers that resonate deeply in her own life.

Evocative, lyrical, and humorous, The Heart Has Its Reasons is a journey of the soul from the pangs of the past to the vibrant present. It is a story about the thrill of creating one’s life anew.

María Dueñas is the author of the New York Times and internationally bestselling novel The Time In Between, which was translated into twenty-five languages and inspired a successful television series under the same title, as well as the highly acclaimed The Heart Has Its Reasons. She holds a PhD in English philology and is currently a professor at the University of Murcia. Dueñas has also taught at American universities, authored several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural, and editorial projects. She lives in Murcia, Spain.

The Octavia Books Book Club invites you to a discussion of The time in between by Maria Duenas, the inspiring story of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself - first into a prestigious couturier, and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during World War II. The Octavia Books Book Club meets at 10:30AM on the 3rd Saturday morning of each month (except December) and is open to book lovers. Please feel welcome to join us!

María Dueñas holds a PhD in English Philology and is a currently professor at the University of Murcia. She has also taught at American universities, is the author of several academic articles, and has participated in various educational, cultural, and editorial projects. The time in between is Dueñas’ first novel, and is a #1 bestseller in her native Spain. She is busy working on her second.

Book:

The time in between is the inspiring international bestseller of a seemingly ordinary woman who uses her talent and courage to transform herself first into a prestigious couturier and then into an undercover agent for the Allies during World War II.

Admission: This event is free and open to the public. In order to meet Maria Duenas for book personalization, please purchase The time in between from Blue Willow Bookshop.

A limited number of autographed copies of Maria’s books will be available for purchase after the event. If you cannot attend the event, but would like a personalized copy of her book, please call us before the event at (281) 497-8675.